Life in the Valley

Indiana State Rallies Past UE; Goes 4 Games up on Aces, UIC

Every time a team gets close, every time a team seems like it might be a threat to topple Indiana State, every time alerts are raised at Fortress Bob Warn, the Sycamores respond.

Indiana State is to the MVC what Roman Reigns was to WWE for nearly 4 years. They’re the Head of the Table, the Tribal Chief, the team with the belt.

And after another win Friday, it looks like that title, much like Old Face Andre when Bunk tells him he’s got to come downtown in The Wire, ain’t going nowhere.

Indiana State scored 3 runs in the bottom of the 8th inning to rally past Evansville, 5-4, in Terre Haute, in a game shown live on ESPNU. The win put the Sycamores 4 games up in the Missouri Valley Conference standings on both Evansville and UIC, as the Flames were knocked off, 8-7, in Chicago by Illinois State. This with just 5 conference games left, and Indiana State has the tiebreaker over UIC.

And yes, even Roman Reigns eventually got beaten. But unfortunately for Evansville fans, the Purple Aces couldn’t finish their story today. Up 4-2 in the 8th, Evansville turned to starter Shane Harris to relieve Kenton Deverman, who pitched 7 strong innings – giving up 2 runs on 7 hits with 1 walk and 6 strikeouts on 97 pitches (4.62 pitches per out). But Harris walked leadoff man Randal Diaz, then Dominic Listi’s 2-run homer tied the game. Luis Hernandez singled and Parker Stinson reached on a botched fielder’s choice that left 2 aboard. After Mike Sears struck out, Adam Pottinger singled to score Hernandez with the eventual winning run.

Jakob Meyer quelled the rally, and Mark Shallenberger (10-game hit streak; 20-game on-base streak) singled with 1 out in the 9th, but UE couldn’t bring him around as Indiana State reliever Jacob Pruitt struck out Kip Fougerousse and Brodie Peart to end the game.

UE got the lead in the 5th on back-to-back, bases-loaded walks to Harrison Taubert and Shallenberger. Fougerousse’s sac fly gave UE a 3-1 lead, and UE made it 4-2 in the 8th when Cal McGinnis singled home Brent Widder.

Pruitt worked the final 3 innings to get the win, striking out 5 on 45 pitches (5.0 ppo). Diaz had 3 hits, while Grant Magill homered, had 2 hits, and scored twice. Shallenberger led UE with 2 hits.

Evansville (28-21, 14-8) can still get the tiebreaker from Indiana State by winning the last 2 games, but no team has figured out that trick since 2022. And they’ll have to face Sycamore standouts Luke Hayden and Brennyn Cutts, who are 1-2 in the Valley in ERA, at 2.92 and 2.94, respectively. UE plays UIC next week to finish the conference season, while Indiana State (35-10, 18-4) visits Valparaiso.

Many have walked the ramp to challenge the champ. But Indiana State’s reign is now very close to officially continuing.

Illinois State 8, UIC 7: It was a bad day for the Flames, as well, who fell behind 8-3 to the Illinois State Redbirds (25-22, 13-9) in Chicago, rallied in the 9th to get within a run, but couldn’t bring home the equalizer as the Redbirds earned the 8-7 win. Auggie Rasmussen homered twice and drove in 3 runs form the 2-spot in the Illinois State order, while leadoff man Luke Lawrence went 2-for-5 with 2 doubles and 3 RBIs – giving Lawrence 72 hits on the season. He entered Friday as the MVC leader in that category. Judah Morris also homered for Illinois State. Cameron Mabee (6-3) got the win, throwing 6 innings and fanning 7. Kendal Ewell homered again for UIC (31-15, 14-8) and drove in 3, his blast coming in the 9th inning. But the Flames couldn’t get another baserunner.

Murray State 11, Valparaiso 10 (10): Once again, Valparaiso didn’t quit. But once again, Murray State (32-18, 12-10) got a victory. The Beacons, down 10-4 in the 9th inning at Murray, scored 6 runs on a pair of 3-run homers from Kyle Schmack and Connor Giusti to tie the game at 10-10. But in the bottom of the 10th, Carson Garner singled home Drew Vogel to win it for the Racers. Coming off his 15th-inning grand slam that beat Ole Miss Wednesday night, Vogel had 4 hits, 2 runs, and 2 RBIs, including a homer. Taylor Howell homered and drove in 4. Garner and Dustin Mercer had 3 hits each, as did Schmack and Kade Reinertson for Valpo (14-32, 6-16).

Belmont 11, Missouri State 10 (10): On the day it announced it was leaving the Missouri Valley Conference for Conference USA beginning in 2025-26 (more here), the Missouri State Bears gave up the tying run in the 9th and the winning run in the 10th to lose to Belmont, 11-10, in 10. A pair of errors on the same play allowed Mason Landers to score the tying run in the 9th. Sam Slaughter’s single plated Michael Lareau with the winning run in the 10th. Brodey Heaton and Landon Godsey homered for Belmont (23-26, 10-12). Landers scored 3 runs, Heaton drove in 3, and Godsey had 3 hits. Nick Rodriguez (3 RBIs) and Zack Stewart (2 R, 2 RBIs) each had 3 hits for the Bears (19-30, 8-14), but Missouri State’s homer machine was turned only to the warning track power setting today, as the Bears had 5 doubles but no homers. Bill Duby got the win for Belmont with a scoreless 10th.

Bradley 7, Southern Illinois 3: With work to do to make the MVC Tournament field in 2 weeks, Bradley picked up a critical victory in Carbondale over SIU, 7-3. The Braves, 2 games behind Missouri State now for the 8th and final spot, scored in 6 different innings and outhit the Salukis, 9-6. Beau Durbin, Timmy O’Brien, and Michael Mylott had 2 hits each, and Mylott and Jackson Chatterton homered. Nathan Bandy homered for SIU and was the only Saluki with more than 1 hit. Jacob Kisting (1-1) pitched 5 innings for the win, while Jack Stellano and Anthony Potthoff combined for 4 innings of scoreless relief.

Saturday on Valley Diamonds: All 5 series continue (weather permitting) and all games are slated for streaming via ESPN+. All times Central:

Evansville at #20 Indiana State, 1 p.m.
Missouri State at Belmont, 2
Bradley at SIU, 2
Illinois State at UIC, 2
Valparaiso at Murray State, 5

If You’re Still Starved for More College Baseball: … And you missed Friday’s Evansville-Indiana State game, it’s being re-aired on ESPNU Saturday morning at 8 a.m. Also Saturday, it’s already conference tournament time if you can believe it. ESPN+ has semifinal action from the Patriot League Tournament at noon.